Purdue University

West Lafeyette, USA

Find out how Purdue University is discovering the ideal indoor growing conditions with LED propagation lights.

Find out how Bosch is using office lighting to create a productive work atmosphere and save energy

Find out how Bosch is using office lighting to create a productive work atmosphere and save energy

Find out how Bosch is using office lighting to create a productive work atmosphere and save energy

Find out how Bosch is using office lighting to create a productive work atmosphere and save energy

Find out how Bosch is using office lighting to create a productive work atmosphere and save energy

Find out how Bosch is using office lighting to create a productive work atmosphere and save energy

Find out how Bosch is using office lighting to create a productive work atmosphere and save energy

Find out how Bosch is using office lighting to create a productive work atmosphere and save energy

Find out how Bosch is using office lighting to create a productive work atmosphere and save energy

Find out how Bosch is using office lighting to create a productive work atmosphere and save energy

Find out how Bosch is using office lighting to create a productive work atmosphere and save energy

Find out how Bosch is using office lighting to create a productive work atmosphere and save energy

Find out how Bosch is using office lighting to create a productive work atmosphere and save energy

Our research will enablespecialty-crop growers

to transition from HPS lamps to the much more efficient LED technologies.”

- Cary Mitchell, Professor of Horticulture, Purdue University

The challenge

Purdue University is investigating how LED can assist modern horticulture. Currently, modern greenhouses use HPS lamps to supplement daylight, but studies show that only 30% of their energy is absorbed by the plant. A four-year study aims to find out if LED can do better.

The right lighting

Purdue University began the study in 2010, after receiving a grant from the US Department of Agriculture. The research was focused on finding the optimum light wavelengths for plant propagation. LED lamps are capable of producing various colors, including deep red, blue, and far red. Researchers aimed to find the best light ratios for different plants by testing various combinations of colors.

The on-going study has yielded some promising findings. The ideal color ratios for 10 different species were identified, with a combination of blue and red being effective in producing compact, fully-rooted seedlings of some species. In addition, it was discovered that LED lights create a higher plug quality than HPS lamps do, and a similar growth level.

The study indicates that LED propagation lights may bolster the economic sustainability and growth of specialty crops in the United States. Here’s to the future of farming.

The test revealed that LED can produce the same amount of light as an HPS lamp, at the correct wavelengths, but using 56% less energy.

Philips GreenPower LED production module

The production module is developed for multilayer cultivation in conditioned environments with little or no daylight.